A manager at Hiper Usera in Collado Villalba was detained for stealing over 1,400 bottles of alcohol. The stolen goods were sold to three shop owners for resale. Police recovered part of the merchandise and arrested all involved.
Police in Collado Villalba have broken up a scheme in which a supermarket manager stole nearly 1,500 bottles of alcohol and other drinks from Hiper Usera, then sold them to local shopkeepers around Madrid. The missing stock, worth €17,808, was sold at or below cost to three shop owners, who then put the goods on their own shelves.
The investigation started after the supermarket’s legal representative reported a loss of 1,422 bottles in just one month. The missing items ranged from beer and rum to soft drinks like Coca Cola, with no sales records to explain the shortfall. The Guardia Civil soon found that the theft was organized by the warehouse shift manager, not a lower-level employee. According to El Confidencial, the case involved the manager and three shopkeepers who received the stolen goods, showing the wider reach of the operation.
The stolen alcohol and beverages were distributed to three specific shops in Cerceda, Becerril de la Sierra, and Fuenlabrada, according to the official investigation.
Police say the 33-year-old Spanish manager used his position to prepare orders for private buyers, moving products out through back exits to avoid being noticed. All payments were made in cash, with no invoices or records. The three shopkeepers, all of Chinese nationality, ran grocery stores in Cerceda, Becerril de la Sierra, and Fuenlabrada. They ordered directly from the manager, who delivered the goods through the back door and kept the money.
When police intervened, they arrested the manager and the three shop owners for receiving stolen goods. Officers seized a car and two vans used to move the merchandise, and recovered products worth €11,000. The suspects face charges of misappropriation and receiving stolen property. Authorities confirmed the criminal charges, underlining the seriousness of the case.
The case shows how internal theft can quickly add up when oversight fails. The manager was able to move over a thousand bottles in a month, using cash deals and avoiding official channels, which made the theft hard to spot until the losses became too large to ignore.
The investigation revealed that the warehouse manager used his authorized access and 'unusual exits' from the storage area to carry out the thefts, with all payments made in cash and no official records left in the accounting system.
El Confidencial
Similar cases of internal theft and illegal resale have appeared in other sectors, as seen in a previous investigation, where weak controls led to serious consequences for businesses and individuals.
This incident stands out for its planning: a trusted manager using his authority, a network of buyers, and a system set up to avoid both internal checks and police. Police were able to recover much of the stolen stock, but the case highlights the risks retailers face when trust is abused. Even established businesses can be vulnerable if they do not keep a close watch on internal operations.
